Rebel Rock Bar & Bites Is Without a Cause

Mac daddy: The mac ‘n’ cheese is one of the few aspects of Rebel that actually rocks.

Macungie, Pa. Manchester, Conn. Missouri. Each of my dining companions—independently and without prompting—noted that Rebel Rock Bar & Bites reminded them of being somewhere other than Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the comparisons were less than flattering.

Indeed, it’s tough to shake the “visiting the suburbs” feel imparted by entering a bar that is located in a strip mall, with neighbors that include a gentleman’s club, a bartending school and an Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The view out the floor-to-ceiling front windows—and the backdrop for live music, which is performed several nights a week on the modest stage beside the front door—is the parking lot and the highway beyond. It’s not Philly’s most charming vista.

Rebel might overcome its challenging location if the food, the drinks, the service or the music were a substantial draw (after all, how many horrified bridge-and-tunnel types braved the Bowery to visit CBGB in its heyday?) On my multiple visits, though, Rebel disappointed on all fronts.

Live music is always hit-or-miss, and new venues often struggle to book performers that will draw a crowd, so it’s tough to fault the 5-month-old space on that count. But the rest of it—food, drinks and service—are firmly in Rebel’s control, yet never manage to impress.

To start, service is dispassionate and tepid. Nary an item was brought to our table that we didn’t have to request, and this includes water with dinner and silverware after ours was inexplicably cleared halfway through the meal. Processing payment on our check took an inordinate amount of time, excusable in a bustling restaurant but extremely frustrating as we were the only guests in the spacious bi-level dining room. Even simple questions about the menu (i.e. “What’s this on top of my burger?”) required a trip to the kitchen to find out. These are the basics, folks. If you can’t tell me what I’m eating—and bring me a fork and knife with which to eat it and a glass of water with which to wash it down—perhaps you shouldn’t be the one serving it.

Rebel’s biggest claim to fame are its “tap tables,” three booths with two beer taps each, activated from behind the bar and tracked by computer to the .001 pint. Although it was cool to be able to pour our own beers (at the time of our visits, Blue Moon and Dogfish Head’s excellent 60 Minute IPA were on draught), it was hard to shake the feeling that letting guests pour their own beers was only intended to make one less chore for the apathetic service staff.

The restaurant also boasts a generous happy hour, but on one visit our server seemed not to realize it until we asked about any daily specials. He made a tremendous show of applying the “discount” to our check (a “discount” afforded to anyone dining between 5 and 8 p.m.) and also made sure to point out the original total as we paid, presumably to ensure a higher tip percentage. If we hadn’t had to chase him to the bar in order to close our check, we might have been more inclined to be generous.

The food is nowhere near as disappointing as the service, with a few notable bright spots. The house mac ’n’ cheese is creamy, bright and big enough to share, whether served plain or studded with lobster meat or bacon. It’s not my favorite in town, but it’s compulsively eatable, and on two separate occasions, I found myself cleaning the plate. Gravy fries, beneath melted cheese slices and savory dark brown gravy, are the stuff that hangover cures are made of. Braised pork sliders arrive three to an order, with sweet and savory pulled pork studded with apples generously piled onto fluffy, buttered and grilled buns.

That same pork appears on the larger barbecue pulled pork sandwich, but with less success; greasy cheese sauce and limp pickled cabbage conspire with a soggy bun to create a texture that most closely resembles meaty oatmeal. The “barnyard” burger, topped with pork belly, fried egg and sriracha, is stacked so tall and is so protein-dense, it is inedible without a steak knife (which the restaurant doesn’t stock), a fork, a bib and a great deal of patience. Cheese steak wontons lack flavor, and are served with A-1 aioli that borders on medicinal, a far cry from the carnivorous comfort of the real thing.

Which is Rebel all over, really: this is a “rock bar” that doesn’t rock—and would be more at home in Missouri. Or Manchester. Or Macungie.

COMMENTS

Comments 1 - 5 of 5

1. Gregg Richards said... on Jun 1, 2012 at 03:11PM

“I've been to Rebel a few times and the food has been outstanding. The tap tables looked as though they were keeping their occupants VERY satisfied. I'd like to try them the next time I go. I found the service at the bar to be excellent. The PA system sounded amazing! A perfectly sized system for that room. I have to applaud Rebel for having live bands at all because, as I'm sure live music fans will agree...We are living in the age of the acoustic duo (usually stuffed into the corner over by an old MegaTouch.) Putting the stage at the very front of the bar by the windows is a statement. "Enjoy the food, but LISTEN to the music." This place has the potential to provide people with the ability to say, "I saw "them" before they were big in front of like 150 people." An environment for real, intimate, music. I like your comparison to CBGB in this regard, but, I have to say...I wouldn't have eaten ANYTHING at CB's...EVER..so I guess Rebel wins. :)”

2. Paul said... on Jun 4, 2012 at 11:43AM

“Rebel is a bar sharing the same strip as the best after hours club in Philadelphia (Zee Bar) and one of the best gentleman's clubs in the nation (Delilah's). This area is the only area of it's kind in Philadelphia that has such diversity in nightlife in proximity. As well, I've never heard that available parking is a detriment. Where else can you visit where parking isn't a headache? Live music is hit or miss. That's the nature and excitement of it. Rebel's commitment to being a venue for new talent should be commended. How rock and roll is it to have the same music promoters in every other venue? The stage is central to the venue. It's an intimate space, made moreso when the sun goes down and you find yourself looking at the beacon of light that is the stage. Beyond is darkness and the result is the feeling of intimacy like being huddled around a campfire. I think what should be taken from the article was that you enjoyed the food.”

3. Anonymous said... on Jun 6, 2012 at 02:53PM

“The few positive things that this article revolved around is that the food was quality. Unfortunately, Rebel has let go of the Chef that created the few bright spots in the establishment. There goes the few things that "Rock" about Rebel.”

4. Rock lover said... on Jun 7, 2012 at 01:08PM

“We went there last weekend to see a friends band play. We LOVE this bar from the start. We do not drink but the Food, Service, Staff were all great! I could not belive how clean and nice this place was. I joked about the bathrooms being so clean you could eat in them. What bar could you ever say that about? I hope this place keeps doing what they are doing maybe get a couple big names in there once in a while would be good too. My Fav local band will play there soon and I cant wait to go back.”

5. Tricky DIckie said... on Jun 7, 2012 at 07:00PM

“You talk about the view out of the window? Hows the view out the window of the famous McGillans? If you can even see out of a window there it would be a brick wall or three dumpsters. Right where this review belongs. Go rock out at Rebel, then go see some nice tits, then score some coke at Zee, sounds like a good time to me.”